For many Balinese people, cockfighting is an activity that involves male members of a community. Often seen as a leisure activity, it can also be a betting game for the men. But in Bontihing village in Buleleng regency, North Bali, residents hold an annual cockfighting ritual as part of a major Mecaru purification ceremony to cleanse the universe from negative forces. Nestled amid a hilly forest area, Bontihing village is an old village in Buleleng, rich in agricultural resources.
Inhabited by 1,500 families and more than 4,000 residents, the village keeps its centuries-old traditions alive. The Mecaru purification ceremony is held during the sixth month of the Balinese calendar, which fell last week, according to the Gregorian calendar. The purification ceremony was held at the village’s temples and intersections. Involving the entire village, the lavish and elaborate ceremony was aimed at balancing the universe. The chief of the village, Made Nada, said that the sixth month of the year during tilem (no moon) night was considered the most sacred night for Balinese, especially those living in Buleleng regency.
All villages in Buleleng held Mecaru ceremonies. But, the one held in Bontihing was unique. It was followed by cockfighting, in which two roosters fought till death. The loser was slaughtered and presented as offering, or was cooked for a communal dining ceremony. Some use the chicken to cook a traditional dish called lawar, a mixture of chicken meat and grated coconut. Jro Ketut Beteng, another village leader, said that cockfighting was held to promote harmony in bhuwana alit or minor world, and bhuwana agung, the great universe.
source : bali daily
source : bali daily
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